Schriever Wargame: Critical Space Event Concludes

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- For the first time, the U.S. Space Force has led Schriever Wargame, a two-day critical, in-depth space training event with more than 200 attendees from eight countries.

Schriever Wargame is designed to explore critical space issues to include investigating military utility of new space systems, identifying solutions to common challenges, and advancing space support within air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace doctrine.

The space-focused wargame began in 2001 under Air Force Space Command. SW 20, which took place Nov. 3 and 4, was the 14th iteration of the wargame, and the first under the nation’s newest Armed Service.

SW 20 included participants from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and the U.S., and focused on strategic messaging in the space domain.

“Today’s partnerships are vital in the contested space environment to strengthen our integration and interoperability along with promoting the peaceful use and development of space,” said Lt. Gen. Stephen N. Whiting, Commander, Space Operations Command, USSF.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the exercise was completed virtually via the Battlefield Information Exploitation and Collection System. For this reason, the event had a smaller footprint from previous years.

This year, SW was divided into two segments, a Deep Dive in September, with focused support from selected action offices; and the Capstone Coalition Council in November, chaired by Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond, Chief of Space Operations, USSF.

Other attendees included Secretary of the Air Force, combatant command commanders from U.S. Space Command, U.S. Strategic Command and U.S Cyber Command along with senior political and military leaders from the U.S. and coalition nations whole of government.

“Space is critical to international stability, and our use of space helps keep our countries safe, protects lives, and supports our everyday way of life. Adversaries, such as Russia and China, are actively developing counter-space capabilities to deny U.S. and our partners the advantages of space in a crisis or conflict,” U.S. Army Gen. James H. Dickinson, USSPACECOM commander said. “The U.S. will not go it alone in space, and Schriever Wargame is just one way we work alongside our Allies and partners to help us retain space superiority, deliver space-based effects to the warfighter, and ensure there is never a day without space.”

During the Deep Dive, participants made recommendations for gaining and maintaining an operational and strategic advantage through coordinated and integrated strategic messaging.

The Capstone Coalition Council further discussed and refined the results of the Deep Dive in order to develop a roadmap that could be used to advance and strengthen the coalition’s ability in the space domain.

“The Schriever Wargame is the premier forum for joint, international, civil and commercial partners to explore new operating concepts that enhance security and stability in a contested space domain,” said Raymond. “Our unique advantage is the ability to seamlessly integrate multi-domain capabilities from multiple Allies and partners to create synergistic effects.”